I think there's an universal law somewhere that says you've gotta have crap go wrong once in a while. And it never rains but it pours, right?
I am sick. It's a stupid cold. I feel like I'm dying. WTF, pregnancy?
I spent 3 hours in the clinic yesterday, being poked repeatedly (4 times, not counting the re-try on one) to take a blood test because suddenly my glucose levels are too high, even though they were normal 2 weeks ago. WTF, pregnancy?
I eat decently. I try to make good choices and stay fairly close to a low glycemic diet when I can. No, I'm not perfect at it, but I do make an effort to cut out/down cholesterol and fat and sugars and such. I just got the call back from the aforementioned blood tests. I have gestational diabetes already. WTF'ingF, pregnancy???
I'm whiny and grouchy as hell because of this übercold ravaging my system, and then I get bad news on top of it. How is this even REMOTELY fair right now? (For the record, the first person to tell me, "Life isn't fair" will find my foot lodged sideways in their rectum.) I am so frustrated and annoyed and upset. I know it's not the end of the world, but seriously? Couldn't I just have a normal run through this? Or at the VERY least, not have complications until later, when I don't have to be paranoid for another 5.5 months?
Maybe it's the virus talking, but I am feeling pretty crapped on right now. Bah.
Commenting kinda late, though I read this the day you posted it...
ReplyDeleteI had gestational diabetes too; I was told that I had to control my sugar or I'd have to take insulin shots. Needless to say I got kinda religious about my diet for a while. But I did get my sugar completely controlled within a few weeks. I got diagnosed at around 3 or 4 months.
My mom - when she was carrying my sister - was diagnosed with it at 2 months; in fact, the same time as she found out she was pregnant. She was not expecting to be pregnant; she was in her mid 30s (36 I think); and she smoked and had high blood pressure and other ickiness.
We both managed to survive it; you'll be able to tough it out too. I know right now you don't want to hear about toughing it out, though.
The thing with diabetes is that you have to retrain your body somewhat. The diabetes drives your blood sugar up; your body adapts to the increased sugar levels. Then, when you first start getting your sugar back to healthy levels, you feel like shit - your body insists that it's low when in fact it is normal. You WILL feel depressed and sluggish and snappish and generally bitchy.
The other bad news is that unlike "normal" diet/exercise changes - where you can expect two or three weeks of this difficult phase - the adjustment period for diabetics is about six weeks.
The good news? If you can manage the trick, you can get used to the new diet enough that even after the pregnancy - when you most likely won't even be diabetic anymore - you still won't go back to the exact same eating habits. And your health will improve because of it. We eat far too much carbs in a standard American diet (and if you believe some folks too much of everything else).
One thing you might be able to manage, even while you're feeling so bad and on so many restrictions of diet and exercise: see if you can wrangle together a little container garden. It might not sound like much, but I find it extremely soothing and comforting to have something alive in the house, in the cold months - something green and growing and (preferably) aromatic. There are several strains of mint that come to mind immediately - extremely easy to care for and extremely delicious when the fresh plucked leaves are steeped in boiling water for a few minutes.
Mint tea is also good for settling the stomach.
Perhaps herbs would hold you in better stead; but it's something you can at least consider.
They make a nifty gadget these days, basically a miniature hydroponic gardening system. Aerogarden, I think it's called - Amanda has one - basically a counter top planting system that lets you grow three to six plants (herbs was most of what I was seeing on offer), in a 1-cubic-foot space. And no dirt to get everywhere, which is a plus.